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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cap — a lid
  3. court — of law
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rock — a stone
  7. ground — the earth
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. court — for sport
  12. ground — a position
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. court — of a king
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rock — music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bay — a horse colour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com